As Manchester United prepare to take on Southampton in their fourth match of the Premier League season, there is an air of gloom in the fan base. With good reason. The frustrating loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the second match—courtesy of some horrendous defending—coupled with the embarrassing defeat to Liverpool that followed have killed the optimism generated by the appointment of competent people to key roles (something that had, shockingly, been missing for years) and the better-than-usual business in the summer transfer window.
So much so that there are already calls for manager, Erik ten Hag, to be dismissed. While the new Ineos-led football structure is unlikely to heed juvenile and, possibly, agenda-driven views, there is no denying that there are serious problems at the club. There were miscalculations ahead of the season that led to United being unprepared for the start of the Premier League.
For example, key signings Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt were both not ready for the start of the season. The delay in getting Ugarte through the door was baffling. Was the plan really to start the season with Casemiro? Unlikely, given that the club was looking to sell the out-of-sorts Brazilian at the start of the window. However, it is unfair to blame Ineos for less-than-ideal transfer dealings. That has been the norm at United for more than a decade now. The rank incompetence of the club had turned it into a laughing stock in the market—paying £27.5 million for Marouane Fellaini, despite him having a £23.5 million release clause, at the start of the post-Ferguson era was only the tip of the iceberg. It will take time for the new football leadership to change that and the start has been steady, if unspectacular.
United have already come a long way, from the foolish boasting of former executive vice chairman Ed Woodward (“We can do things in the transfer market that other clubs can only dream of”; he walked the talk by overpaying for years!) to the recent coherent assessment of transfers by current sporting director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada. But, the club continues to pay the price for the damage done by the farcical Woodward regime.
Nevertheless, ten Hag cannot be blindly forgiven for too much longer. He has to turn things around sooner, rather than later. He has earned this third season by delivering two trophies in two years. But, if he fails to stabilise the club this term, alternatives have to be considered.
The Dutchman is faced with significant challenges just a month into the new season. The most glaring hole in the team is at left-back—a result of the ill-advised move to release Luke Shaw, who had not fully recovered from an injury, for national duty at the Euros. He played in the deep end of the tournament after recovering from a hamstring injury, but suffered a calf injury after returning to United. With more time off for recovery and building up fitness, it may have been possible to avoid the latest injury. Shaw’s deputy, Tyrell Malacia, has been out with a knee injury for more than a year.
When Shaw returns, it will be a major boost to the squad. In his absence, right-back Diogo Dalot has been filling in at left-back, while summer arrival Noussair Mazraoui has looked good at right-back. So, when Shaw is back, there will be a semblance of depth at full-back, as Mazraoui, like Dalot, can operate on both flanks. There is also the 17-year-old English left-back Harry Amass—“the next Luke Shaw”—who can be slowly and carefully introduced to senior football over the course of the season. But, given how injury-prone Shaw has become, it is advisable to sign another senior left-back in the winter transfer window, at least on loan. The club is said to be looking at options, such as Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, 20, and Brest’s Bradley Locko, 22, for the position.
If the left-back problem can be solved, the United defence would actually look decent—with Dalot or Mazraoui at right-back, de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez at centre-back and Shaw or a new player at left-back. Exciting new signing Leny Yoro, 18, would give United three good options for the two centre-back positions once he returns from injury. The other centre-backs in the squad, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof (once he returns from injury) are good enough to be back-up options for now. Ideally, Lindelof should have been moved on and replaced with a young, left-footed centre-back. But, it was not possible because of his injury. United are likely to go for such an option in the future, after walking away from the Jarrad Branthwaite deal in the summer (they could also go back in for the Everton defender). The roster of centre-backs definitely needs to be refreshed in the near future.
For all the value that Evans adds to this squad, this has to be the veteran’s last season. Similarly, despite improved form and an evidently strong mentality, Maguire, too, has to be let go—he simply does not fit the profile of centre-back needed for a club which wants to consistently finish in the Champions League places. His contract runs out at the end of the season, with an option to extend. Given his high wages, extending must not be an option. Lindelof, too, should not be given a new contract. The space created in the squad can then be occupied by younger players.
Therefore, the defensive rebuild at United is still a work in progress. But, when most of those players are available, there is just about enough depth there for United to get by with this season. The biggest issue in the team at present is in midfield. Casemiro, once the world’s best defensive midfielder, is now shockingly bad. Against Liverpool, ten Hag had no option but to start him. And, at half-time, the manager had no option but to replace him with 20-year-old Toby Collyer.
Casemiro could still have a mini redemption arc at United, similar to Nemanja Matic under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But, even if he does that, a return to the player he was at Real Madrid or even during his first season at United is highly implausible. And, with two years left on his contract, there is no easy fix to the Casemiro problem. The best option in the short-term maybe to pair him with Ugarte. The latter can provide much-needed cover and possibly allow Casemiro to play himself into form. This would also allow ten Hag to give some rest to the overworked Kobbie Mainoo. But, once the 19-year-old Mainoo, a generational talent, is fully ready for the season, he has to be one of the first names on the team sheet. This would mean benching Casemiro. That will not be easy to manage. How ten Hag handles it, while keeping his big-name holding midfielder motivated, could be vital in deciding his fate at United. The best option is to move Casemiro on as soon as possible. But, that is easier said than done given his wage. Perhaps, if Casemiro falls back in love with football, he would take a pay cut to go elsewhere.
While a fully fit midfield trio of Ugarte, Mainoo and captain Bruno Fernandes looks good on paper, there are still issues. Fernandes has incredible fitness and is almost always available. But his performances, while retaining the flavour of creative genius, have been inconsistent. Mainoo needs more rest than he has been afforded. Ugarte, a tough-tackling player, could be troubled by inconsistent English refereeing—during his all-action first season at United, Casemiro missed seven games through suspension and the red cards he got were questionable in light of decisions in other similar incidents.
In terms of depth, there is little in midfield. Mason Mount’s injury record is a polar opposite of Fernandes’s. And, even if he manages to stay fit in the future, it is still not clear what his role in the team is going to be. Is the No.7 supposed to compete with and deputise for Fernandes. Is he a box-to-box midfielder who would compete with Mainoo? In either case, it seems odd, in a historical context, that the player sporting United’s most iconic jersey number does not feel like a guaranteed starter. He began this season as an attacking midfielder, with Fernandes playing false 9. But, that, too, does not seem like a long-term option given that United have two promising strikers in Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, with more young talent in the pipeline. But, thanks to Mount’s versatility and his ability to play on both wings, he is likely to get enough playing time if he can stay fit. And he is capable of contributing from any role that he is deployed in.
Christian Eriksen is no longer a reliable option in the box-to-box role that ten Hag wants him to play. He has to be used judiciously to give the others a rest and then let go when his contract expires next summer. Looking at the options and issues in the midfield, there is a possibility that Collyer’s development could have a much more significant impact on United’s season that anticipated. The club is in a position where it has to hope that he can step up, like Mainoo did, when called upon.
For the immediate future, it is vital to integrate Ugarte as soon as possible. At times, ten Hag has shown a tendency to take time with new players. But, he has also played preferred signings like Antony and Martinez fairly quickly. With Ugarte, the manager has to be decisive.
The attack is stronger than it was last season. Amad Diallo is United’s best option on the right at the moment. And ten Hag must not fail to start him consistently. Joshua Zirkzee does not look quite ready to lead the line for United yet. But, he has all the qualities needed to turn into a good signing. For now, when Hojlund gets fit, it would be better to go with the Dane upfront and use Zirkzee as the rotation option. But, by the end of the year, they should both be developed into feasible options for the start, with Ethan Wheatley, 18, also becoming a rotational option.
On the left, Marcus Rashford has the starting berth for now. But, Alejandro Garnacho, 20, was better last season. But, the Argentine has not looked quite so sharp so far this season. He may need more time this year before he can consistently start playing full games again. When he is ready, he deserves to be on the left-wing, with Amad on the right. Rashford is certain to get the chance to prove that he deserves to start, but if he does not hit top form soon, ten Hag will have to drop him. Whether the manager does this, instead of stifling the growth of Amad and Garnacho, remains to be seen. In this regard, he will have no sympathy from the United faithful, and rightly so.
Rashford, for all the criticism he has got this season, has been better than he was last term. The issue is that he has been nowhere near the level that is required to succeed in the Premier League. However, there are positive signs. The most significant one is that he is moving the ball instead of shooting from absurd positions or dribbling into defensive blocks. In fact, he has not had a single shot in three Premier League games this season. While that indicates that he has not really been an attacking threat, as has been evident in the eye-test, it also shows that he is not attempting silly shots.
He has also created three big chances. That puts him just one behind Mohamed Salah. But, while Salah has three assists, apart from three goals, Rashford saw his potential assists disappear as Garnacho missed a sitter and Zirkzee missed two chances in the box. Rashford also has more through balls and crosses than Salah and has lost the ball only once as compared to six times in Salah’s case. But, these numbers do not mean that Rashford is playing as well as Salah. He is not. Moreover, his pressing has been sporadic at best (this could be by design though, with the manager wanting to keep the long-ball option open). Regardless of the tactical setup, there seems to be more maturity in Rashford’s individual game this season. But, it is mixed with a whole lot of hesitation to take on a defender. If he can keep his new-found proclivity to pass, while finding the courage to run at defenders again and the form to be a threat, we may see the best version of Rashford yet.
Another lingering issue at United is first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana. He did well to recover from a horrible start at the club. But, he is not the shot-stopper that David De Gea was. It is increasingly looking like the club rushed the decision to replace the legend with a ball-playing, sweeper-keeper. Because Onana is not being allowed to be that. This is because the team has not been ready to play that style of football. So, his strengths are not being utilised and his weaknesses are being exposed because of the number of shots he is facing. This has to be addressed—Ugarte and a high defensive line will be vital in getting the keeper to sweep.
The target this season has to be Champions League qualification. That will not be easy. Because apart from Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, there are at least six other teams which are arguably better-placed to perform than United. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Brighton. To say that the situations in those clubs is the result of them having “better managers” is simplistic. It is a function of many things and, with the exception of Chelsea, all these clubs have been run better than United for at least the last two seasons. But, that does not make a tenth place finish acceptable for United.
So, while there are plenty of problems from back to front at United and patience will be needed, it has to be patience with accountability. If ten Hag makes errors in year three, he has to be criticised by the same fans who stood by him after the FA cup win last season. But, toxicity is not going to be constructive. Therefore, the fans, who are vital to the club’s fortunes, need to keep calm and let ten Hag rise or fall on the merit of his decisions.
